Charles Leclerc (16) of Morocco and team Scuderia Ferrari walks in the paddock before the Sprint Race at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix on October 19, 2024 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, TX. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Charles Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari lacked the pace to challenge Max Verstappen and Lando Norris during the qualifying session ahead of the 2024 US Grand Prix. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, the Monegasque driver admitted that neither he nor his teammate, Carlos Sainz, had the performance necessary to secure pole position.
Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, just behind Carlos Sainz, but was unable to improve his lap time due to George Russell’s crash in the final moments of the session. The incident disrupted many drivers’ attempts to better their lap times. In sprint qualifying, he secured third place, but in the sprint race, he finished fourth, while Sainz claimed second.
Leclerc felt that without Russell’s crash, there was room to improve his lap, but he also pointed out that Ferrari’s car was not on par with McLaren and Red Bull in terms of pace. The 26-year-old highlighted that the first sector of the Circuit of the Americas was particularly challenging for Ferrari, and despite various setup changes, the team couldn’t find a solution to improve performance in that section. Nonetheless, Leclerc believed that finishing third and fourth was the best possible outcome for Ferrari.
